Another Life: Year One
by igotagoldenticket
Summary: Harry Potter thought he was a normal boy, until he received a mysterious letter then his whole world changed. My take on Harry Potter's seven years at hogwarts. Year one,
1. Prologue

AN: I don't own harry potter. This is my first story so hopefully its okay :)

Harry sighed, the sun was beating down on his back and he could feel his neck burning. He tried to move about so the burning wasn't so intense but it was no use the side of the garden he was working on had his back directly in the glare of the sun. Harry stopped for a moment to wipe a trickle of sweat that was running down his forehead on to his sodden shirt sleeve. He looked towards the house were he could see his cousin Dudley sitting in the air conditioned house drinking his iced drinks.

Just as he was beginning to wish he was in there instead of out here his aunt appeared at he window and gave him a stern look so he quickly turned back to his work. He had spent all day out in the sun working on the gardens because it was Dudley's eleventh birthday tomorrow. Harry was glad he was almost finished as the pain in his neck was becoming almost unbearable. He pulled out the last weed, put it in the compost bin and went inside. After taking his shoes of, so that he didn't get mud on the the kitchen floor, he went to see if his aunt had any more chores for him. Luckily for Harry she told him that was all for today so Harry headed to his cupboard. He was happy that he was finished today before his uncle came home. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if he hadn't.

Stepping in his cupboard he turned on the light bulb and lay on his makeshift bed, which consisted of a tattered mattress and three threadbare blankets. One which he'd had since he was a baby and was inscribed with his initials. Sitting down on his mattress he looked around his wee cupboard he saw the few drawings from school he had managed to sneak in before the Dursley's saw them and binned them. Other than the pictures there was also a few spiders in the cupboard. Harry rather liked them and he would talk to them about his day. He thought of them as his friends, his only friends.

There was a bang of the front door to signal his uncle Vernon was back from work. Harry heard his uncle greet his wife and son. After all the pleasantries were done with he asked his wife "well tuney did the boy manage to do something right for a change." Harry held his breath for he knew his aunts answer would decided whether he received food tonight. "He done a satisfactory job" replied his aunt. Harry let out his breath he would be getting food tonight. Which he thought was good since he hadn't eaten in two days as he hadnt managed to finish his chores in time for his uncle returning home.

After his uncle had settled in front of the tv his aunt came to his cupboard and told him he had 5 minuets to eat, clean up and be back in his cupboard. Harry went through to the kitchen and on the table was a plate with one slice of stale bread, an apple that was beginning to rot and a glass of water. Harry sat and started eating. He never ate with his family as they liked to see him as little as possible especially his uncle. So harry finished eating, cleared up his dishes and returned to his cupboard. Usually he would have to prepare his family's dinner but they were having a takeaway tonight as Dudley's birthday was tomorrow.

Lying in his cupboard Harry thought about his situation, he knew that his family mistreated him, he would like to think he was smarter than most eleven year old's ,but he also knew there was nothing he could do about his situation. He had tried praying when he was younger for someone to come and take him to a loving family but nobody ever came. He had also tried telling someone about how his family treated him once but they thought he was just telling stories. His uncle had found out he told someone of his treatment and punished him so Harry decided then and there it was better to just deal with it.

Harry thought tomorrow would be better as the Dursley's were going out to the zoo for Dudley's birthday and harry would be left alone locked in his cupboard. So with these thoughts Harry drifted off to sleep thinking of all the things he could do tomorrow.


	2. Dudley's Birthday

Harry sighed staring at his cupboard wall, even though it was dark because his uncle had taken the light bulb, it helped him forget about the ache in his stomach. Harry didn't know how long he had been stuck in the cupboard but he could guess it had been at least one week as he had only been fed once, which was typical when he was being punished.

It all started on Dudley's birthday. He had just made his family there morning breakfast and was about to go when his uncle spoke. "Boy you are to be ready at the door when we finish our breakfast to leave for the zoo or else!". Vernon's two chins wobbled as he said this and it looked like it pained him to say the words. "BUT WHY DOES HE HAVE TO COME" yelled Dudley. Harry sensing a tantrum come on left the kitchen but stood out side the door as he to was curious as to why he was getting to go. "because ickle diddykins the neighbours have been talking about how they never see the boy and if they talk to much you might get taking away from mummy and daddy and they will say nasty things about us." pleaded his aunt. Harry thought Dudley must have still looked mad as his aunt quickly added "plus as an extra treat for your day almost being spoiled we will buy you two more toys". This must have worked as Dudley went back to eating his food.

Harry should have known there was a reason for them taking him and not them trying to be nice for once. Harry sighed and walked towards his cupboard as he passed the living room and looked in. He thought Dudley didn't need any more toys as the room was almost bursting with gifts and those were just the ones from his parents there was still a pile he had yet to receive from other family members. Harry personally thought Dudley was a spoilt little pig and that he probably wouldn't even use half the gifts once.

He opened his cupboard and put his shoes on. He then turned and sat on the stairs by the door and waited on his family as he knew his uncle was deadly serious. Harry thought that this might not be so bad after all. As long as he never spoke and he kept a reasonable distance, close enough so that he didn't look like he was on his own, from his family it might actually be an enjoyable day.

Once they reached the zoo and his aunt had paid for them to get in Dudley made them get an ice cream straight away as he was hungry again, even thought it was only a 30 minute car journey from the Dursley's to the zoo. They walked around the zoo for a while, Dudley and Vernon pointing at the animals and saying rude things about them. Harry wasn't looking at the animals though, he was looking at the other family's enjoying there day out to the zoo. Harry compared all the other family's to his. Where the other family's all looked alike. Harry looked nothing like his aunt and her family. Vernon was a large man with blue eyes, blonde hair that sat atop his pink face, he also had a moustache and he acted like he was superior to everyone. Dudley was pretty much and mini version of Vernon, without the moustache of course. His aunt was a thin, tall woman with blue eyes, brown hair and two much neck to be normal. Harry often compare his uncle and cousin to a walrus and his aunt to a horse. Harry on the other hand was a thin boy with a mop of black hair, bright green eyes and a weird scar on his head which he got when his parents died.

He watched how the other family's interacted and wished that someone would love him. Eventually Dudley was getting restless and asking for food again. The Dursley's walked to the nearest cafe and his uncle turned around and gave harry a look. Harry knew that it ment he was to hang around the enclosures near the cafe until his family had eaten. Whilst his family ate harry enjoyed looking at the enclosures, although his stomach began to rumble harry ignored it.

Once his family came out they went to there last destination of the zoo, the reptile house. When they walked in Dudley went straight to the largest snake, he was not amused when he saw it was sleeping. The Dursley's walked off but harry stayed there "it must get lonely living in a zoo" sighed harry looking at the boa constrictor. To Harry's shock the snake looked at his and replied. "yes I was taken from my family and placed in this glass box with no one but myself for company." Harry looked around but no one was paying attention. Harry thought he must have finally gone mental. "where are you originally from." said harry but he barely finished his question when Dudley elbowed him out the way. "Mummy harry was talking to the snake" smirked Dudley. Harry looked up at his uncle Vernon and panicked at the look of fury on his face. Just as he was beginning to really panic Dudley gave a shout and jumped away from the snake case. The glass of the case had vanished and the snake was slithering out and towards the exit. Vernon grabbed harry and Dudley and dragged them away from the reptile house and towards his car.

The whole journey home was in silence and Harry was dreading what would happen when he got home. He had gone and done a freak thing again. He didnt know how he was suppose to have made these things happen, such as the glass in the snake tank vanish, but he was punished for them anyway.

Once they got back to privet drive and into the house his uncle turned on harry "What were you thinking doing that freakishness in such a public place. Why do you think we don't take you out you little freak. You ruined Dudley's birthday" his uncle yelled going purple in the face. He whacked harry a few times around the head, and smashed his fist in harry's face. He then yelled at harry "get to your cupboard now."So harry stumbled into his cupboard. His uncle slammed the door behind him and locked him in. He was then informed that he would stay there for a week or two until he learned to behave himself.


	3. The Letters

It had been two weeks since the zoo incident. Harry had been let out his cupboard for the first time, except to use the toilet. He was currently cleaning the photos of the Dursley's in the hall way when the post came through the door. There was three items of post, one post card, what looked like a bill and a letter for harry. Harry couldn't believe it, he had never received anything in the post. He heard his uncle getting up to receive the post so he decided to open his letter before his uncle got here otherwise he wouldn't get it. The letter was made of some kind of parchment. The handwritten ink on the front was green and on the back of the envelope was a seal. The heal was scarlet in colour and had four animals on it. A snake, a lion, a badger and a raven. The seal also had the word Hogwarts on it. Just as harry had broken the seal and was about to remove the letter from the envelope it was snatched out his hands. "Opening my letter's are you now boy" sneered his uncle. But before harry could say anything his uncle took one look at the seal, went deathly white and shouted "Tuney its started the are contacting the boy." Harry was now extremely curious as to who was trying to contact him. His aunt petunia came from the living room, looking the exact same colour as his uncle. Before harry could consider sneaking the letter back off his uncle somehow or even eavesdropping on his aunt and uncles conversation he was put out the house and told not to come back till it was dark.

Harry sighed and walked aimlessly around. He figured there was no way he would get to see that letter now. If it scared his uncle that much it probably would have got rid of it. It annoyed harry that he would never get to know what was in that letter. It had left him with a load of questions. Who was trying to write to him? Why had they not written sooner. It was getting dark so harry figured he would head back to privet drive.

When he got back he was told by his aunt that his dinner was on the table. The plate that was waiting for harry contained slightly more food than usual which harry found odd although he wasn't going to complain as he was hungry. After harry finished and washed up he was heading to his cupboard when harry was called into the living room. "boy we have decided you have out grown the cupboard so we are giving you Dudley's spear room."

So harry went to his cupboard and moved everything he wanted to take it only took him one trip to move everything. The spear room was bigger than his cupboard but small compared to the other 3 bedrooms in the Dursley house. In it was a single bed, a wardrobe and one shelf. There wasn't much space on the floor between the wardrobe and bed and every surface was covered in Dudley's unwanted toys. Some of the toys were broken and some hadn't even been removed from there boxes. Harry sat down on the bed and thought to himself this must all be a dream and tomorrow ill wake back up in my cupboard.

The next day harry woke up at his usual time, which was around 7. He realised that he was still in the small bedroom and not his cupboard. So he got dressed and went down the stairs to start on his family's breakfast but when he got the kitchen his aunt had just finished making it, and there was even a small plate for harry. So harry quietly ate his breakfast feeling confused by his relatives

behaviour. Once he had finished and washed his plate he turned to his aunt and said "what would you like me to do today?" "there is no chores for you today boy." she replied even though it looked like it pained her. Just as harry was about to walk back up to his room the post came through the door. His cousin must have got to the hall first for he shouted "there are two of the same letter for harry today." Harry ran out of the hall hoping to get one but as he got there his uncle was ripping them up.

Harry walked up to his room and deicide to clean it up and make it a bit more habitable. As he done that he thought of the letter sender. Somehow they knew harry never received his letter and they had tried again today. So that meant they would try again tomorrow. So harry spent the rest of the day thinking up his plan to read one of his letters.


End file.
